SPCH Seminar Series: "Advancing Youth Resilience to Wildfire Smoke Through School-Based Air Quality Monitoring and Education: Research Update"

About

Wildfire smoke exposure is an increasing public health concern, particularly for children and adolescents, who may experience both short- and long-term health effects. In Montana, where wildfire smoke poses recurring challenges, rural and underserved communities may face additional barriers to protecting youth health. This presentation will introduce a developing dissertation focused on improving youth resilience to wildfire smoke through three aims: synthesizing evidence on respiratory health outcomes among children exposed to wildfire smoke, examining indoor and outdoor air quality across Montana schools, and evaluating a school-based educational program to improve students’ knowledge, self-efficacy, and health behaviors during wildfire smoke events.